


Tension

by byekeiji



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, One Shot, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:53:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29224995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byekeiji/pseuds/byekeiji
Summary: They're just friends. Just roommates. At least that's what Akaashi has to keep telling himself to bring him back to reality. The tension they've created is going to swallow him whole, and even though it's a bad idea, Akaashi just might let it.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 1
Kudos: 38





	Tension

**Author's Note:**

> hehe hi everyone. this is, lightly inspired by my own life, except these guys get a happy ending haha. i hope you enjoy :)

He was in too deep now. He knows this. He’s told himself this about a million times but for some reason he keeps thinking that it’s a good idea to keep pushing. Keep crawling towards the rabbit hole even though he knows he’ll get hurt if he falls down it. Because as smart as he is, he can’t seem to avoid what’s going to hurt him.

Akaashi looks up from his computer to see Bokuto on the couch, laughing his head off at some funny video on his phone. The sight makes Akaashi smile, and he has to physically shake his head to clear it. He mentally chastises himself and continues on with his work, not getting much done as his mind wanders back towards the enigma sitting a few feet away.

  
They had been roommates for a month now, and things were good. He liked his roommates and was glad to be independent. He was thankful that Kenma had reached out to him, even if he’s now suffering in his own demise.

  
Bokuto is one of the best people he’s ever met, his open and carefree nature contagious and bringing a light to the apartment that makes it feel like home. He doesn’t seemed to be embarrassed about anything, has no modicum of self-control or any kind of filter, and can act like a big baby sometimes. But he’s extremely kind, with the biggest heart, really funny and the highest emotional intelligence of anyone Akaashi knows. How could he not fall for him?

  
You would think that things would be simple: Akaashi confesses, Bokuto accepts. They ride off into the sunset together.

  
But somehow Akaashi has managed to complicate things insanely, or maybe it’s all in his head, but he doesn’t know what to do.

  
Bokuto was open about his sexuality from the start, telling them that he was bi the second night they were all living together. This had Akaashi panicking because he desperately wanted to chime in, to shout, “Really?! I’m gay! What a coincidence!”

  
Unfortunately, his brain had other ideas. The words stuck in his throat and his brain shut down his common sense department so that the only thing he could say was, “Good for you.”

  
Not his finest moment, but he figured that there would be more opportunities to tell them all. More natural ones that wouldn’t make him want to vomit.

  
Those situations arose from time to time, and Akaashi watched them all pass by. He really did want to tell them, he did. But the longer it went on, the harder he knew it was going to be, all of them wondering why he didn’t tell them sooner and him not having a good answer.

  
So he decided to do things his way. He began leaving subtle hints everywhere, little comments and touches and even the way he sits. He was waiting for someone to pick up on it, to ask him and him to have no choice but to tell the truth.

  
He’s now convinced that his roommates are as dense as rocks. He had a feeling Bokuto wouldn’t pick up on it, not having the attention span to notice something small like that. He thought Kuroo might figure it out, but being a chemistry major doesn’t mean you have a brain though apparently. Out of everyone, he thought that Kenma would. The man is insanely observant and almost nothing gets by him. But this did apparently. There is the chance that someone has noticed and just doesn’t want to push him into coming out before he’s ready. Which pisses him off. He loves that they’re being considerate but it’s the opposite of what he wanted to happen.

  
So, as of now, his roommates think that he is straight, which is disappointing, but there’s not much else he can do without telling them outright. He’s pretty sure if he does that he’ll spontaneously combust.

  
But as time goes on, he less and less convinced that Bokuto didn’t pick up on it. He was so sure that he wouldn’t notice, wouldn’t take any of the signs at face value and just assume that they don’t mean anything. Bokuto seems to be getting a little flirty though, and Akaashi doesn’t know if it’s platonic or not.

  
It started out small, their shoulders touching when they sat next to each other on the couch, always sitting next to each other at the dinner table, clearing each other’s plates. Small things that have literally no meaning whatsoever. But Akaashi knows better. He can feel the sparks flying, however small they may be. He might be overthinking things though, so he says nothing and lets them live their little domestic life.

  
Until things pick up. Soon they’re laying next to each other on the couch watching movies. More contact, but not enough. Both still considerate of each other’s space while simultaneously crossing invisible lines they had drawn.

  
Akaashi still wasn’t sure if it meant anything though. He knew that Bokuto was bi, but Bokuto didn’t know about him. So as far as he knows, Bokuto could think everything was still platonic, still just things that friends do. And it was this thought that was killing Akaashi. That every touch meant so much more to him than it meant to Bokuto. He felt doomed to drown in his unrequited feelings.

  
He decided though, that if Bokuto was going to think that everything was platonic, that he could continue doing this, continue sneaking small moments to satisfy himself. If nothing meant anything, he was determined to take as much as he could.

This didn’t continue for long though.

He didn’t think much when they went to watch another movie one day. When Kenma wanted to “go to sleep” and Kuroo had more work to do.

He just reclined back into the couch and closed his eyes, trying not to think about how close Bokuto was.

“Soooo, what do ya wanna do ‘Kaashi? What do you wanna watch?”

He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at him and their noses almost brush, startling him. He doesn’t’t back down though, because they’re just friends. This is nothing.

“Whatever you want, Bokuto-san. I don’t have a preference.”

Bokuto grabs the remote and puts on one of his favorite movies and Akaashi settles even further into the couch, trying to lay down without disturbing Bokuto on the other end. The couch isn’t every big though, so trying to fit two grown men comfortably on it is a challenge. That’s the reason that Akaashi’s head is almost in Bokuto’s lap, his arm half on top of his leg, and Bokuto’s arm resting on top of the couch.

They make commentary throughout the movie, poking fun at the main character and lamenting over certain plot points. But as much as he is occupied, Akaashi can’t help but be hyperaware of how Bokuto’s arm has been inching forward, his hand now resting on top of the pillow Akaashi was using.

Akaashi didn’t say anything, curious to see where this was going. He was not disappointed.

Bokuto’s hand kept creeping forward until it was brushing his shoulder, the small touch setting off fireworks in Akaashi’s stomach. But he didn’t stop there. He kept going, moving his had further until it was resting on Akaashi’s upper arm, the solid weight comforting and also heart-attacking inducing.

Akaashi was sure that this was the end of him. There was no way that he was imagining things anymore. This was not a platonic gesture. Not with the way he kept inching, as if he was unsure if it would be okay. Not with the way his hand tightened when he realized that Akaashi wasn’t going to reject him.

His heart was beating out of his chest because if this line was crossed, what other lines would they be crossing tonight? Would he try to kiss him? Akaashi’s head was running in circles, not able to decide on the most likely circumstance because he had labeled all of them as impossible long ago.

When the movie ended he sat up quickly, turning to Bokuto with a smile. “I should probably go to bed, Bokuto-san. It’s almost 2 am and I have class at 9 am tomorrow.”

Bokuto chuckled. “I do too. Maybe watching a movie this late wasn’t the best idea.”

“Probably not,” he chuckled.

The two got up and headed opposite ways to their rooms, bidding a soft goodnight before retreating behind closed doors.

The moment the door was shut, Akaashi collapsed onto the floor. He put his hands over his chest in an effort to calm his pounding heart, but it was futile. His fate was sealed.

——

He didn’t get much sleep that night, tossing and turning with thoughts of Bokuto.

_What am i going to do tomorrow, when I see him? Will he bring it up? Should I? No that’s stupid. Just play it cool. That’s the only thing you can do, right?_

The next morning, he was slow to leave his room, trying to avoid a situation where the two of them were alone in their shared space. He didn’t want to be blindsided with any questions.

He heard Kuroo and Kenma’s voices out in the living room, so he thought it was safe to join. He walked out into the living room to see Bokuto sitting in the chair, Kuroo pulling his shoes on while sitting on the couch, and Kenma sitting on the floor, absorbed by whatever game he was playing.

Taking the safe option, he sat on the couch on the end furthest from Bokuto, relaxing as he sank into easy conversation.

All was going well when Kuroo stood up and headed towards the door, and Kenma surprisingly followed him.

“We’re gonna head down and grab the mail. I got an email that a few of my packages arrived and Kenma needs sunlight.”

Kenma gave Kuroo a glare but was otherwise silent as they grabbed their keys and headed out.

The apartment was silent again, the air thick with an unspoken tension. Akaashi fiddled with his phone for as long as he could before sneaking a glance at Bokuto. He was staring at Akaashi, almost as if observing wild animal. Akaashi did feel like one, skittish and ready to run at the first sign of trouble.

“Hey Akaashi? Can I talk to you?”

Akaashi’s head whipped towards his, locking eyes and taking in his tentative nature. “About what, Bokuto-san?”

“Um.” He scratched the back of his neck and looked away, trying to find the right words. “Last night. I don’t want to be too…forward, but is there any chance you’re interested in me? I mean I don’t even know if you like men that way but I am so head over heels for you and this little thing we’re doing is driving me crazy and I just need to know if I even have a chance. Is there a chance?”

He was looking so intently at Akaashi that he wanted to cry, wanted to melt into the floor. Because all he wanted to do was say yes. He wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him and be so insanely happy that other people would think he’s crazy. But he knows that can’t be.

“Well, Bokuto-san. I, um, am interested in men that way, for the record. And I really like you. Like it’s crazy how much. But I just don’t see how it would work. We’re roommates. We _have_ roommates. I don’t want to ruin the balance we’ve created here. We’re all so happy in this little bubble and I don’t want to make things complicated if things don’t work out or you end up hating me or-“

“I could never hate you, ‘Kaashi.” Bokuto stood up at this and sat down next to him on the couch, turning to face him and grabbing his hands. “I know that there is a lot of uncertainty. And the last thing I want is to lose you or make your living situation unbearable, so I’ll respect your choice if you choose not to give this a chance. But what if things do work out? What if we give this a chance and it ends up being a forever kind of love? What if you’re my soulmate and we don’t even give this a chance because we don’t want to risk it? Please, _Keiji_.”

Akaashi wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to kiss him.

So he did.

He closed the distance and smashed their lips together, wrapping his arms around his neck and almost tackling him with his sheer force. Bokuto just chuckled as he melted into the kiss. It felt so right. And so Akaashi took a page from Bokuto’s book and threw caution to the wind, choosing to give this a chance and hope that the future held everything that he was looking for.

**Author's Note:**

> if you want to say hi, come find me on twitter @byekeiji


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